Have you seen this in the news? EcommerceBytes, a leading source for online merchants, has asked "some of the most experienced figures in the antiques and collectibles field" to reflect on the state of the online marketplace for collectors.
 eBay's recent unsuccessful sale of the original Schindler's list shows that one-off, high profile auctions are not the site's forte |
Focusing on online auction giant eBay, the interviewed experts felt that recent changes by the site to protect specialist sellers and improve its services may be a case of too little, too late, with collectibles blogger Harry Rinker explaining:
"eBay has abandoned the small time seller. During eBay's heyday, I used to buy something on eBay every day. I had a huge feedback number. It was collectors who drove eBay, but eBay quickly learned there is a problem, and that is the one of a kind sale. There is more money to be made when you sell multiples of an item.
"Another problem in the collectibles division is that a lot of dealers were not trained and either misrepresented sales or didn't know what they were selling. The level of complaints was huge."
So, according to Rinker and the general consensus of his fellow interviewees, eBay is on its last legs as a place to buy collectibles, but who will take its place?
 Would you purchase a Monet for millions without consulting an expert first? |
As EcommerceBytes states, online giant Amazon has recently launched categories for sports and entertainment collectibles, and is now offering trading cards among others. That's not to mention its newly established fine art department, which is selling Warhol, Monet and Hirst for millions.
It looks like Amazon is gearing up to take the online collectibles market by storm. We are all aware of the company's ability to dominate the online marketplace, but can it keep up in the collecting world?
Rinker seems sceptical: "I don't know of anyone who is using Amazon for antiques and collectibles.
"The problem is the same as on eBay: How do you verify this stuff? How do you know the sellers know what they are doing?
If the seller is Paul Fraser Collectibles, that's how.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has been invited to start a collectibles store on Amazon, so our expertise will be provided with all purchases. We hope to have this set up within the coming months, so keep your eyes open.
In summary, by using the power of Paul Fraser Collectibles' knowledge and ability to source superb items, Amazon looks like it could be a major player in the collectibles industry within a very short period of time. Combining online ease with a tailored service is a receipe for success if ever I heard one.
We're always happy to help you shape your collection, finding the perfect items on your behalf and establishing a relationship that gives you confidence in your purchase. We even offer a lifetime money back guarantee.
You can check out our online store here.
Thanks for reading,
Paul
